Āmrapālī, also known as "Ambapālika", "Ambapali", or "Amra" was a celebrated '' nagarvadhu'' (royal

courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...

) of the

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

of Vaishali (located in present-day Bihar) in

ancient India Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentism, Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; ...

around 500 BC. Amrapali also won the title of rajnartaki (court dancer). Following the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

's teachings, she became an

arahant In Buddhism, an ''Arhat'' () or ''Arahant'' (, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved '' Nirvana'' and has been liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth. The und ...

. She is mentioned in the old

Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...

texts and

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

traditions ( āgama sutras), particularly in conjunction with the Buddha staying at her mango grove, ''Ambapali vana'', which she later donated to his order and wherein he preached the famous ''Ambapalika

Sutra ''Sutra'' ()Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a ...

''.

Early life

Amrapali was born around 600-500 BCE, to Mahanama & an unknown mother.

Etymologically Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...

, the variants on her name derive from a combination of two

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

words: ''amra'', meaning

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

, and ''pallawa'', meaning young leaves or sprouts. It is said that she was spontaneously born at the foot of a mango tree in one of the royal gardens in Vaishali — hence her name. Even as a young maiden, Amrapali was exceptionally beautiful and ethereal. It is said that a

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

lord by the name of Mahanaman was so enchanted by the young Amrapali's beauty that he abandoned his kingdom and moved to Ambara village, a small hamlet in Vaishali presently in

Muzaffarpur Muzaffarpur () is a city located in Muzaffarpur district on the banks of Burhi Gandak River, Burhi Gandak river in the Tirhut division of the Indian state of Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of the Tirhut division, the Muzaffarpur distri ...

As a courtesan

Vaishali was the capital city of the Licchavi tribe, one of the eight Khattiya (Sanskrit ''Kshatriya'') clans that had united to form the Vajjian confederacy. The king was elected by an electoral college consisting of princes and nobles from the Kshatriya clans. It was customary that the most beautiful women in the land, rather than marrying one man, dedicated themselves to the pleasure of many. Amrapali grew up to be a lady of extraordinary charm and grace, and was talented in many art forms. Many young nobles desired her company. When Manudev, king of Vaishali, saw Amrapali perform a dance in the city, he plotted to "own" her. He murdered Amrapali's childhood love and would-be-groom, Pushpakumar, on the day of their wedding, and afterwards made an official announcement declaring Amrapali as the 'bride' of Vaishali — i.e. the '' Nagarvadhu''. She was also bestowed with the title of '' Vaishali Janpad Kalayani'', given to the most beautiful and talented girl of the kingdom for a period of seven years. Amrapali had the right to choose her lovers, but according to the aforementioned custom, she could not be committed to any one man. After being declared a ''Nagarvadhu''. Her talent and beauty attracted so many men that the glory of Vaishali during this period is often attributed to Amrapali's fame. The price to see Amrapali's art form was fifty

Karshapana Karshapana (, IAST: ''Kārṣāpaṇa''), according to the Ashtadhyayi of Panini, refers to ancient Indian coins current during the 6th century BCE onwards, which were unstamped and stamped (''āhata'') metallic pieces whose validity depende ...

s per night, and her treasury grew much larger than the treasuries of some kings. It is said that Amrapali was declared the "most beautiful" girl at the age of 11 and was later made nagarvadhu.She also is a celebrated rajnartaki (court dancer) in the ancient Vaishali.Amrapali was also proficient in music, dance, hunting, archery, horse handling etc. She had great love for classical songs and dance.

Legends associated with Amrapali

Amrapali and Bimbisara

Stories of her beauty travelled to the ears of

Bimbisara Bimbisāra (in Buddhist tradition) or Shrenika () and Seniya () in the Jain histories ( or ) was the King of Magadha (V. K. Agnihotri (ed.), ''Indian History''. Allied Publishers, New Delhi 262010p. 166f. or ) and belonged to the Haryanka d ...

, king of the hostile neighbouring kingdom of

Magadha Magadha was a region and kingdom in ancient India, based in the eastern Ganges Plain. It was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization period. The region was ruled by several dynasties, which overshadowed, conquered, and ...

. He attacked Vaishali, and took refuge in Amrapali's house. Bimbisara was a good musician. Before long, Amrapali and Bimbisara fell in love. When she learned his true identity, Amrapali asked Bimbisara to leave and cease his war. Bimbisara, smitten with love, did as she asked. In the eyes of the people of Vaishali, this incident made him a coward. Later, Amrapali bore him a son named Vimala Kondanna.

Ajatashatru Ajatasattu (Pāli: ) or Ajatashatru (Sanskrit: ) in the Buddhist tradition, or Kunika () and Kuniya () in the Jain tradition (reigned c. 492 to 460 BCE, or c. 405 to 373 BCE), was one of the most important kings of the Haryanka dynasty of Mag ...

, Bimbisara's son by Queen Chellana (according to Jaina traditions) or Queen Kosala Devi (according to Buddhist traditions), later invaded Vaishali due to a dispute with his brothers. He was so moved by her beauty that when Amrapali was imprisoned, he burned the whole of Vaishali. Almost everyone died in the massacre, except his beloved Amrapali, but when she saw the condition of her motherland, she renounced her love for him.

Amrapali and the Buddha

In Buddhist records, Amrapali is noted as having had the opportunity to serve food to the Buddha during his last visit to Vaishali, shortly before his death. Amrapali attended his sermon at a nearby grove and was so deeply moved by it that she invited him for a meal at her quarters. In other accounts, it is stated that the Buddha himself took shelter in her mango groves and was visited by Amrapali who paid her obeisance to him and then extended the invitation. He consented to her proposal with silence. On her way back, her chariot collided with that of the princely nobles of Vaishali who were also heading to invite the Buddha to dine with them. They berate her by calling her a 'mango-woman' and ask her, a woman of ill repute, to move aside and let her superiors pass. It is then that she announces that the Buddha was coming to her house for a meal. The princes were upset and offered her gold in return of the privilege of hosting the Buddha but she refuses. Buddha also turns them down, having already committed to Amrapali. Buddha recognised her beauty and advised his disciples to be mindful in her presence lest they become infatuated with her. Amrapali received the Buddha with her retinue in her grand residence which had been specially decorated for the occasion. It was no less than the palace of any king; such was the wealth she commanded. At the conclusion of the meal, she offered to the Buddha and his order her entire property including her groves which became the venue for several sermons on mindfulness. Soon thereafter, she renounced her position as courtesan or court dancer, accepted the Buddhist way, and remained an active supporter of the Buddhist order. She dedicated her life to the service of the poor and the destitutes. On growing up, Amrapali's son, Vimala Kondanna also became a Buddhist monk and a renowned elder.

Attitudes towards courtesans in scriptures

The story of Amrapali is significant for understanding contemporary attitudes of courtesans. Though she received much fame as a talented artist, she was also berated by the noble princes of Vaishali by calling her '

Gaṇikā Gaṇikā or ganika (Sanskrit: गणिका) were female courtesans in early Ancient India, with their earliest reference in the Vedic period. Mentioned in the ''Kamasutra'', ''Gaṇikās'' were also dubbed as "courtesans de luxe," this was h ...

' which carried derogatory connotations. However, unlike them, Buddha did not share that kind of prejudice towards her. He ate at her residence and accepted her grove for the Buddhist order. This is often quoted as an example for his unbiased regard towards women. However, what has been noticed is that with the passage of time and as the Therigatha was collated, this bias also entered the Buddhist fold. Amrapali's possible alliance with Bimbisara has also survived mainly through an oral tradition and has not found its way into the Pali canon of Buddhism. This is because Bimbisara was a great royal patron of Buddhism and his links with Amrapali may throw a negative light on him. Amrapali's mention in the canon also focuses mostly on the later part of her life when she converted to Buddhism. However, records of Chinese travellers who came to India in search of Buddhist texts have made note of Amrapali's early life and her relationship with Bimbisara. The latter is found in the Chinese Recension of the Buddhist tripitaka. This narrative has been written in the Mahayana tradition and therefore did not have the onus of representing Bimbisara in a positive light. Hence, their relationship is highlighted. A third set of scriptures which refer to the story of Amrapali, and do so most elaborately, come from the Gilgit area of Kashmir and are therefore known as the Gilgit Manuscripts. These are the Tibetan-Sanskrit scriptures of the Mulasarvastivada branch of Buddhism which hold her in high esteem. However, the negative connotation of being a courtesan is still present. Thus, the cultural memory of a courtesan shows a complex pattern, varying across time and place.

In popular culture

* Amrapali has been the subject of three biographical films: ''Amrapali'' (1945) starring Sabita Devi, Jagdish Sethi, Prem Adeeb, ''Amrapali'' (1959) starring

Supriya Devi Supriya Devi (Supriya Choudhury; 8 January 1933 – 26 January 2018) was an Indian actress who is known for her work in Bengali cinema for more than 50 years. She is best known for her portrayal of Neeta in Ritwik Ghatak's Bengali film '' Megh ...

as Amrapali and Asit Baran as King Ajatashatru, and '' Amrapali'' (1966), starring

Vyjayanthimala Vyjayanthimala Bali ( Raman; born 13 August 1933), known mononymously as Vyjayanthimala, is an Indian parliamentarian, dancer and former actress. Regarded as one of Hindi cinema's greatest actresses and dancers, she is the recipient of sever ...

as Amrapali and

Sunil Dutt Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Raghunath Dutt; 6 June 1929 – 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director, and politician known for his work in Hindi Cinema. He acted in more than 80 films over a career spanning five decades and was t ...

as Emperor Ajatashatru. * Bollywood actress

Hema Malini Hema Malini Dharmendra Deol (born 16 October 1948; ) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician who is currently serving as a member of the Lok Sabha from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), representing Mathura constituency since 2 ...

produced, directed, and starred in a television series called ''Women of India'', which depicted the story of Amrapali. The music for the Amrapali segment of the series was composed by

Hridaynath Mangeshkar Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar (Marathi pronunciation: �ɾud̪əjnaːt̪ʰ məŋɡeːʃkəɾ born 26 October 1937) is an Indian music director and occasional singer. He is the only son of musician Deenanath Mangeshkar and younger brother of ...

along with

Ravindra Jain Ravindra Jain (28 February 1944 – 9 October 2015) was an Indian music composer, lyricist and playback singer. He started his career in the early 1970s by composing for several hit movies. His notable works include '' Chor Machaye Shor'' (19 ...

. * Amrapali has been the subject of various books, including '' Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu,'' a 1948

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

novel by Acharya Chatursen, and ''Ambapali'', a 1962 novel by Vimala Raina. A recent work in English, ''The Legend of Amrapali: An Enchanting Saga Buried Within the Sands of Time'', was completed by author Anurag Anand in 2012. * A television series, Amrapali, was telecast on

DD National DD National (formerly DD1) is an Indian state-owned entertainment television channel, founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It is the flagshi ...

in 2002. * Amrapali is also mentioned in the book 'Heroines' by historian writer Ira Mukhoty.

References

Notes

* * Vyasa & Vigneswara Malayalam Novel written by Anand * Novel: ''Vaishali ki Nagarvadhu'' by Acharya Chatursen, 1948 * Khuddaka Nikaya, part 9 (Therigatha) Canto 13 * Digha Nikaya 16 (Mahaparinibbanasutta - part 2, 16-26) * Malalasekera: Buddhist Dictionary of Pali Proper Names (s.v.) * The Legend of Amrapali by Anurag Anan

* Rev. Osho - A story on Buddha and Amrapali

External links

Ambapālī (Ambapālikā) in Buddhist Dictionary of Pali names

Amrapali DD1 serial 1st episode-2002
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amrapali Disciples of Gautama Buddha Indian Buddhists Indian courtesans 5th-century BC Indian people Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown Ancient Indian women Indian Buddhist nuns Arhats Ancient dancers 5th-century BC women People from the Vajjika League Indian female dancers Performers of Indian classical dance